In the field of automobile construction there is a desire for lowering the total weight of the vehicles or, in case of improved accessories, not to let the total vehicle weight increase. This can only be realized if the weight of particular vehicle parts is lowered. In this connection in particular it is attempted to definitely lower the weight of the vehicle body in comparison with previous times. However, at the same time the demands made on safety, in particular the safety of people inside the motor vehicle, and on the conditions in case of accidents, have risen. While the number of parts for lowering the body gross weight is reduced, and their thickness in particular is reduced, it is expected that the body shell of reduced weight displays increased sturdiness and stiffness along with a definite deformation behavior in case of an accident.
Steel is the raw material most used in producing auto bodies. Structural parts with the most diverse material properties cannot be made available cost-effectively in such large ranges by any other material.
The result of these changed demands is that, along with great sturdiness, large expansion values, and therefore an improved cold-forming capability, are assured. Moreover, the range of sturdiness which can be shown for steel has been increased.
One perspective, in particular for bodies in connection with automobile construction, relates to structural parts made out of thin sheet steel of a sturdiness, which is a function of the alloy composition, in a range between 1000 to 2000 MPa. For achieving a sturdiness of this type in the structural part, it is known to cut appropriate plates out of sheets, to heat the plates to a temperature above the austenizing temperature and thereafter to shape the structural part in a press, wherein rapid cooling of the material is simultaneously provided during the shaping process.
A scale layer is formed on the surface during the annealing process for austenizing the plates. This is removed after shaping and cooling. Customarily this is performed by means of a sandblasting method. Prior to or after this scale removal, the final trimming and the punching of holes are performed. It is disadvantageous if the final trimming and the punching of the holes are performed prior to sandblasting, since the cut edges and edges of the holes are detrimentally affected. Regardless of the sequence of the processing steps following hardening, it is disadvantageous in connection with scale removal by means of sandblasting that the structural part is often warped by this. A so-called piece coating with a corrosion layer takes place after the mentioned processing steps. For example, a cathodically effective corrosion-protection layer is applied.
In this connection it is disadvantageous that finishing of the hardened structural part is very elaborate and, because of the hardening of the structural part, is subject to great wear. Moreover, it is a disadvantage that the piece coating customarily provides a corrosion protection which is not particularly strongly developed. The layer thicknesses are furthermore not uniform and instead vary over the structural part surface.
In a modification of this method it is also known to cold-form a structural part from a sheet metal plate and to subsequently heat it to the austenizing temperature and then to cool it rapidly in a calibrating tool, wherein the calibrating tool is responsible for calibrating the shaped areas which had been warped by heating. Subsequently the previously described finishing takes place. In comparison with the previously described methods, this method makes possible more complex geometric shapes, since it is possible in the course of simultaneous shaping and hardening to only create substantially linear shapes, but complex shapes cannot be realized in the course of such shaping processes.
A method for producing a hardened structural steel part is known from GB 1 490 535, wherein a sheet of hardenable steel is heated to the hardening temperature and is subsequently arranged in a shaping device, in which the sheet is brought into the desired final shape, wherein rapid cooling is simultaneously performed in the course of shaping, so that a martensitic or bainitic structure is obtained while the sheet remains in the shaping device. Boron-alloy carbon steel or carbon manganese steel, for example, are used as the starting materials. In accordance with this publication, shaping preferably is performed by pressure, but other methods can also be employed. Shaping and cooling should preferably be performed in such a way and so rapidly, that a fine-grained martensitic or bainitic structure is obtained.
A method for producing a hardened profiled sheet metal part from a plate, which is heat-formed and hardened in a pressure tool into a profiled sheet metal part, is known from EP 1 253 208 A1. In the course of this, reference points, or collars, projecting out of the plane of the plate, are created on the profiled sheet metal part, which are used for determining the position of the profiled sheet metal part during the subsequent processing operations. It is intended to form the collars out of non-perforated areas of the plate in the course of the shaping process, wherein the reference points are created in the form of stampings at the edge or of passages or collars in the profiled sheet metal part. Hot-forming and hardening in the pressing tool are said to generally have advantages because of the efficient working through a combination of the shaping and hardening and tempering processes in one tool. By means of clamping of the profiled sheet metal part in the tool and on account of the thermal stress, however, an exactly predictable warping of the part cannot arise. This can have disadvantageous effects on subsequent processing operations, so therefore the reference points on the profiled sheet metal part are created.
A method for producing sheet steel products is known from DE 197 23 655 A1, wherein a sheet steel product is shaped in a pair of cooled tools while it is hot and is hardened into a martensitic structure while still in the tool, so that the tools are used for fixation during hardening. In the areas in which processing is to take place following hardening, the steel should be maintained in the soft steel range, wherein inserts in the tools are used for preventing rapid cooling, and therefore a martensitic structure, in these areas. The same effect is said to be possible to obtain by means of cutouts in the tools, so that a gap appears between the sheet steel and the tools. The disadvantage with this method is that because of considerable warping which can occur in the course of this, the subject method is unsuitable for pressure-hardening structural parts of more complex structures.
A method for producing locally reinforced shaped sheet metal parts is known from DE 100 49 660 A1, wherein the basic sheet metal of the structural part is connected in defined positions in the flat state with the reinforcement sheet metal and this so-called patched sheet metal compound is subsequently shaped together. For improving the production method in respect to the product of the method and the results, as well as to unburden it in respect to the means for executing the method, the patched compound sheet metal is heated to at least 800 to 850° prior to shaping, is quickly inserted, is rapidly shaped in the heated state and, while the shaped state is mechanically maintained, is subsequently definitely cooled by contact with the shaping tool, which is forcibly cooled from the inside. The substantially important temperature range between 800 and 500° C., in particular, is intended to be passed at a defined cooling speed. It is stated that the step of combining the reinforcing sheet metal and the basic sheet metal is easily integratable, wherein the parts are hard-soldered to each other, by means of which it is simultaneously possible to achieve an effective corrosion protection at the contact zone. The disadvantage with this method is that the tools are very elaborate, in particular because of the definite interior cooling.
A method and a device for pressing and hardening a steel part are known from DE 2 003 306. The goal is to press sheet steel pieces into shapes and to harden them, wherein it is intended to avoid the disadvantages of known methods, in particular that parts made of sheet steel are produced in sequential separate steps by mold-pressing and hardening. In particular, it is intended to avoid that the hardened or quenched products show warping of the desired shape, so that additional work steps are required. To attain this it is provided to place a piece of steel, after it has been heated to a temperature causing its austenitic state, between a pair of shaping elements which work together, after which the piece is pressed and simultaneously heat is rapidly transferred from the piece into the shaping elements. During the entire process the pieces are maintained at a cooling temperature, so that a quenching action under shaping pressure is exerted on the piece.
It is known from DE 101 20 063 C2 to conduct profiled metal structural elements for motor vehicles made of a starting material provided in tape form to a roller profiling unit and to shape them into roller-profiled parts wherein, following the exit from the roller profiling unit, partial areas of the roller-profiled parts are inductively heated to a temperature required for hardening and are subsequently quenched in a cooling unit. Following this it is intended for the roller-profiled parts to be cut to size into profiled structural parts.
A method for producing a part with very great mechanical properties is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,604 B2, wherein the part is to be produced by punching a strip made of rolled sheet steel, and wherein a hot-rolled and coated material in particular is coated with a metal or a metal-alloy, which is intended to protect the surface of the steel, wherein the sheet steel is cut and a sheet steel preform is obtained, the sheet steel preform is cold- or hot-shaped and is either cooled and hardened after hot-shaping or, after cold-shaping is heated and thereafter cooled. An intermetallic alloy is to be applied to the surface prior to or following shaping and offers protection against corrosion and steel decarbonization, wherein this intermetallic mixture is also said to have a lubricating function. Subsequently, excess material is removed from the shaped part. The coating is said to be based in general on zinc or zinc and aluminum. It is possible here to use steel which is electrolytically zinc-coated on both sides, wherein austenizing should take place at 950° C. This electrolytically zinc-coated layer is completely converted into an iron-zinc alloy in the course of austenization. It is stated that during shaping and while being held for cooling, the coating does not hinder the outflow of heat through the tool, and even improves the outflow of heat. Furthermore, this publication proposes as an alternative to an electrolytically zinc-coated tape to employ a coating of 45% to 50% zinc and the remainder aluminum. The disadvantage of the mentioned method in both its embodiments is that a cathodic corrosion protection practically no longer exists. Moreover, such a layer is so brittle that cracks occur in the course of shaping. A coating with a mixture of 45 to 50% zinc and 55 to 45% aluminum also does not provide a corrosion protection worth mentioning. Although it is claimed in this publication that the use of zinc or zinc alloys as a coating would provide a galvanic protection even for the edges, it is not possible in actuality to achieve this. In actuality it is not even possible to provide a sufficient galvanic protection for the surface by means of the described coatings.
A manufacturing method for a structural part from a rolled steel tape, and in particular a hot-rolled steel tape, is known from EP 1 013 785 A1. The goal is said to be the possibility of offering rolled sheet steel of 0.2 to 2.0 mm thickness which, inter alia, is coated after hot-rolling and which is subjected to shaping, cold or hot, following a thermal treatment, in which the rise of the temperature prior to, during and after hot-shaping or the thermal treatment is intended to be assured without a decarbonation of the steel and without oxidation of the surfaces of the above mentioned sheets. For this purpose, the sheet is to be provided with a metal or a metal alloy, which assures the protection of the surface of the sheet, thereafter the sheet is to be subjected to a temperature increase for shaping, subsequently a shaping of the sheet is to be performed, and finally the part is to be cooled. In particular, the sheet is to be pressed in the hot state and the part created by deep-drawing is to be cooled in order to be hardened, and this at a speed greater than the critical hardening speed. A steel alloy which is said to be suitable is furthermore disclosed, wherein this sheet steel is to be austenized at 950° C. prior to being shaped in the tool and hardened. The applied coating is said to consist in particular of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, wherein not only an oxidation and decarbonizing protection, but also a lubrication effect is said to result from this. Although in contrast to other known methods it is possible with this method to avoid that during the following heating process the sheet metal part oxidizes after being heated to the austenizing temperature, basically cold-shaping as represented in this publication is not possible with hot-dip galvanized sheets, since the hot-dip aluminized layer has too low a ductility for larger deformations. The creating of more complex shapes by deep-drawing processes in particular is not possible with such sheet metals in the cold state. Hot-shaping, i.e. shaping and hardening in a single tool, is possible with such a coating, but afterward the structural part does not have any cathodic protection. Moreover, such a structural part must be worked mechanically or by means of a laser after hardening, so that the already described disadvantage occurs that subsequent processing steps are very expensive because of the hardness of the material. Further than that, there is the disadvantage that all areas of the shaped part which were cut by means of a laser or mechanically, no longer have any corrosion protection.
For producing a shaped metallic structural element, in particular a structural body element made as a semi-finished product from unhardened, heat-formable sheet steel, it is known from DE 102 54 695 B3 to initially shape the semi-finished product into a structural element blank by means of a cold-forming process, in particular deep-drawing. Thereafter the edges of the structural element blank are to be trimmed to an edge contour approximately corresponding to the structural element to be produced. Finally, the dressed structural element blank is heated and pressure-hardened in a hot-forming tool. The structural element created in the course of this already has the desired edge contour after hot-forming, so that final trimming of the edge of the structural part is omitted. In this way it is intended to considerably shorten the cycling time when producing hardened structural parts made of sheet steel. The steel used should be an air-hardening steel which, if required, is heated in a protective gas atmosphere in order to prevent scaling during heating. Otherwise a scale layer is removed from the shaped structural part after the latter has been hot-formed. It is mentioned in this publication that in the course of the cold-forming process the structural element blank is formed closely to its final contours, wherein “closely to the final contours” is to be understood to mean that those portions of the geometric shape of the finished structural part which accompany a macroscopic flow of material have been completely formed in the structural element blank at the end of the cold-forming process. Thus, at the end of the cold-forming process only slight matching of the shape, which requires a minimal local flow of material, should be necessary for producing the three-dimensional shape of the structural part. The disadvantage of this method lies in that a final shaping step of the entire contour in the hot state still takes place, wherein for preventing scaling either the known procedure, wherein annealing is performed in a protective gas atmosphere, must be performed, or the parts must be de-scaled. Both processes must be followed by a subsequent coating of the piece against corrosion.
In summation it can be stated that it is disadvantageous in connection with all the above mentioned methods that it is necessary to further process the produced parts after shaping and hardening, which is expensive and elaborate. Moreover, the structural parts either have no, or only insufficient protection against corrosion.